Norway has sent delegation to Venezuela with focus on political, humanitarian situation

Updates with quote, context

CARACAS, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Norway has sent a delegation to Venezuela to evaluate the situation in the country, a spokesperson for the Norwegian foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

"We confirm that a Norwegian delegation is visiting Caracas in order to get an update on the political and humanitarian situation in Venezuela," the spokesperson wrote in an email.

Venezuela's information ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Norway in 2019 brokered a dialogue meant to ease a political standoff between President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has been recognized by more than 50 countries as the South American nation's legitimate president.

The talks fell apart without the two sides reaching an agreement on the opposition's proposal for a new presidential election following Maduro's 2018 re-election that was widely dismissed as fraudulent.

Venezuela has suffered a hyperinflationary economic collapse that has forced more than 5 million people to emigrate in search of better opportunities.

Maduro says the country's economic problems are the result of U.S. sanctions that have crippled the OPEC nation's oil exports in an effort to force him from power.

(Reporting by Brian Ellsworth)

((brian.ellsworth@thomsonreuters.com; 58 212 655 2660; Reuters Messaging: brian.ellsworth.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net, @ReutersVzla))

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